Charles Ellicott Commentary John 18:30

"They answered and said unto him, If this man were not an evildoer, we should not have delivered him up unto thee." — John 18:30 (ASV)

If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to you.—They take the position that the Roman governor is the executive power, and their own council the judicial power. They bring no legal charge against Jesus. Instead, they assert, in effect, that they themselves, who understood and had investigated the whole matter, had condemned Him to death. They further assert that this condemnation itself was sufficient proof that He was worthy of death. They use the vague word “malefactor,” an “evil-doer,” though in the trial before Caiaphas they had not sought to prove any evil deed, and they expect that upon this assertion Pilate will pronounce the sentence of death on Him, just as he would on other malefactors.